National Archives Reference Information Paper 91 -- Railroad-related Records

Part III(A)

Federal Regulation and Oversight of Railroads (Section A)

Record Group 14 Records of the U.S. Railroad Administration

III.1 The U.S. Railroad Administration was established by a Presidential proclamation of December 26, 1917, as an emergency agency designed to cope with the transportation difficulties created by World War I. Two factors hastened the advent of Federal control: freight congestion was mounting on the Atlantic seaboard and the railroads were confronting a labor shortage due to wholesale departures of railroad personnel because of low wages and military service. The Federal Control Act of 1917 gave Congressional support to the President in taking over the railroads and authorized him to enter into agreements guaranteeing compensation to the carriers not to exceed their respective annual net railway operating income while their properties were under the management of the Federal Government.

III.2 Under Federal control, the improvement in rail service in the war year of 1918 was significant, particularly the allocation of locomotives and freight cars nationally. A national reserve of locomotives was set up. The elasticity of unified operations under national control was illustrated by the resolution of the inadequacies in the supply of foodstuffs required by the Allies, which were addressed by moving empty boxcars to the Western grain states. The U.S. Railroad Administration maintained Federal control over the nation's railroads until March 1, 1920, when the railroads were returned to private ownership. At the same time, special attention was paid to Federal Government regulation of railroads, resulting in the passage of the Transportation Act of 1920. The records in this record group are described at the sub-group level. The records are described at the series level in the Preliminary Inventory for of the Records of the U.S. Railroad Administration, 1917-45, NC 9.

III.3 The Director General of Railroads had jurisdiction and control over every system of railroads within the boundaries of the United States, except street and urban railways. The Director General had to power to overrule the orders and statutes of the ICC. Some of the more important series in the records of the Office of the Director General include the following:

1. subject-classified general file of the director general, 1918-27 (200 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, NC 9);

2. index to subject-classified general file of the director general, 1918-27 (16 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, NC 9);

3. compensation contracts and final settlement agreements between the director general and transportation companies, 1918-31 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 9, NC 9);

4. index to compensation contracts between the director general and transportation companies, 1918-27 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 10, NC 9);

5. index to final settlement agreements between the director general and transportation companies, 1918-27 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 11, NC 9); and

6. reports from railroads to the director general submitted in accordance with General Order Number 9, January-November 1918 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 29, NC 9).

III.4 The Board of Railroad Wages and Working Conditions was created on May 25, 1918, under General Order Number 27, succeeding the Railroad Wage Commission. It was established as an advisory wage body for the purpose of adjusting wage inequalities and handling future wage problems. The Board was charged with hearing and investigating the following matters concerning wages and working conditions: inequalities of wages and working conditions, conditions arising from competition with employees in outside industries, rules and working conditions for employees, and other matters referred to it by the Director General. The most significant records that still exist for the Board are these series:

1. reports of the Railroad Wage Commission, January-March 1918 (3 in.)(MLR Entry 33, NC 9);

2. dockets of the Board of Railroad Wages and Working Conditions, 1918-20 (14 ft.)(MLR Entry 36, NC 9);

3. abstracts and digests of hearings of the Board of Railroad Wages and Working Conditions, June

7, 1918-October 24, 1919 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 38, NC 9); and

4. recommendations of the Board of Railroad Wages and Working Conditions, 1918-20 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 39, NC 9).

III.5 The functions of the Division of Law included general supervision over all legal activities of railroads under Federal control, the preparation of contracts, work relating to claims and property protection, and the dissemination of information and advice on legal matters both to the public and to officials of the U.S. Railroad Administration. After the passage of the Transportation Act of 1920, the Law Department of the carriers was required to obtain the approval of Regional Counsels in settlements of claims for personal injury involving the payment of over $2,500 and claims for freight and property damage involving over $250. Important records series are the following:

1. general file of the general counsel, 1918-37 (432 ft.)(MLR Entry 44, NC 9);

2. index to the general file of the general counsel, 1918-37 (53 ft.)(MLR Entry 45, NC 9);

3. general correspondence of John Barton Payne, General Counsel, U.S. Railroad Administration, 1918 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 47, NC 9);

4. correspondence of Sidney F. Andrews, General Solicitor, U.S. Railroad Administration, 1931-33 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 51, NC 9);

5. correspondence of Nathan Matthews, Special Counsel, U.S. Railroad Administration, February 1918-December 1920 (13 ft.)(MLR Entry 54, A1);

6. cases brought to court against the director general under the Transportation Act of 1920 ("5000 File"), 1923-30 (17 ft.)(MLR Entry 56, NC 9);

7. index to cases brought to court against the Director General under the Transportation Act of 1920 ("5000 File"), 1923-30 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 57, NC 9); and

8. index to cases concerning personal injury and property damage claims against railroads ("P" File), 1918-37 (12 ft.)(MLR Entry 71, NC 9).

III.6 The functions of the Division of Operations included the relocation of freight cars, the supervision of the repair of locomotives, the coordination of all shipping on railroads, the supervision of troop movements, the promotion of safety on the railroads, the promotion of efficient operations, and the promotion of full economy in locomotives. The Division existed for the period 1918-20. Significant series include general file of the director, 1918-20 (19 ft.)(MLR Entry 73, NC 9), and general file of the director, 1919-20 (29 ft.)(MLR Entry 74, NC 9).

III.7 Due to vast labor discontent, the formulation of a labor policy was one of the first of the urgent tasks to confront the Director General upon the assumption of Federal control of railroads. To settle disputes over wages, hours, and working conditions, three railway boards of adjustment were set up in the Division of Labor to settle all controversies. Railway Board of Adjustment #1 dealt with disputes involving engineers, firemen, conductors, and trainmen; Board #2 dealt with disputes involving shop crafts; and Board #3 dealt with disputes involving certain railroad worker unions. The Division was in existence for the period 1918-1920. Important records at the Division level include the following series:

1. subject-classified general file of the Division of Labor, 1918-22 (66 ft.)(MLR Entry 83, NC 9);

2. case files of G.W.W. Hanger, Assistant Director, Division of Labor, 1918-19 (14 ft.)(MLR Entry 86, NC 9);

3. closed cases (File N), January 1919-January 1920 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 90, NC 9); and

4. decisions rendered by Railway Boards of Adjustment Numbers 1, 2, and 3, 1919-20 (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 95, NC 9).

III.8 Important record series created by the Railway Board of Adjustment #1 include cases heard and disposed of by the board under General Order Number 13, 1918-21 (47 ft.)(MLR Entry 100, NC 9), and cases heard and disposed of by the board under General Order Number 27, 1918-21 (9 ft.) (MLR Entry 101, NC 9).

III.9 Significant series created by the Railway Board of Adjustment #2 include:

1. master files, regular dockets, May 1918-January 1921 (24 ft.)(MLR Entry 113, NC 9);

2. master files of the special dockets, May 1918-January 1921 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 115, NC 9);

3. index to dockets of Railway Board of Adjustment Number 2, May 1918-June 1920 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 116, NC 9); and

4. decisions of Railway Board of Adjustment Number 2, 1918-21 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 117, NC 9).

III.10 Major series of the Railway Board of Adjustment #3 are:

1. regular dockets, November 1918-January 1921 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 127, NC 9);

2. recommended decisions of the board in cases over which it had no jurisdiction but was requested to make recommendations by the Division of Labor (special dockets), December 1918-January 1921 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 128, NC 9); and

3. index to special and regular dockets, January-July 1919 (0.1 ft.)(MLR Entry 129, NC 9).

III.11 There are additional records of the U.S. Railroad Administration for the Office of the Comptroller, the Division of Traffic, and the Division of Purchases.

Record Group 30 Records of the Bureau of Public Roads

III.12 The Bureau of Public Roads supervised the cooperative Federal-state highway construction program, administered the highway beautification program and the highway construction portion of the Appalachian regional development program, constructed defense highways and roads in national parks and forests, and conducted research in transportation and highway design. These functions were placed in the Department of Agriculture beginning as the Office of Road Inquiry (1893) and transferred to the Department of Commerce in 1949. On April 1, 1967, the Bureau of Public Roads was terminated and these functions were transferred to the Federal Highway Administration. Records relating to railroads include documentation concerning railroad crossings of highways and files concerning abandonment of railroad rights-of-way that are used by or crossed by highway projects. The records are described in Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Bureau of Public Roads, PI 134.

III.13 General correspondence, 1893-1912 (47 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, PI 134), is arranged according to a numeric-subject classification scheme reproduced in Appendix I in PI 134. Records include letters received and-- beginning about 1904--also copies of letters sent, together with such related records such as reports, memoranda, and published material concerning the establishment of the Bureau of Public Roads, its overall administration, and its varied functions and activities. Included in this correspondence is documentation relating to the Good Roads Train (#530), the Frisco Good Roads Train (#56), the Great Northern Good Roads Train (#68), and the Southern Railway Good Roads Train (#137 and #530). Also in the files are the Railroad Officials Stock Letters (#131), Railroads in relation to Wagon Roads (# 476), Southern Railway exhibits (#142), and Tractor Trains (#537). These records are indexed by the name index to general correspondence, 1892-1912 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry E-1, PI 134), which is arranged in two subseries covering approximately the years 1892 to 1908 and 1908 to 1912, and thereunder, alphabetically by name of correspondent. The index is on 3- by 5-inch cards, containing name of correspondent, date, and number under which the correspondence is filed.

III.14 General correspondence, 1912-65 (1,893 ft. for 1912-1950, 510 ft. for 1951-55, 123 ft. for 1955-59, and 243 ft. for 1960-65)(MLR Entry, E-6A, 6C, 6D, 6E, and 6F, PI 134), is arranged by a modified Dewey classification scheme described in Appendix II in PI 134. Records are scattered throughout the files concerning abandonment of railroad rights-of-way that were used or crossed by highway projects, primarily in file designation #481. These are indexed in the name index usually by the name of the railroad. Examples include files for the Atkinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad designated #481-FAS-Abandonment-Kansas, and #481-FAS-Abandonment-New Mexico.

This series is indexed by the name index to general correspondence, 1912-55 (55 ft.)(MLR Entry 4, PI 134), which is arranged in overlapping subseries by fiscal year, thereunder alphabetically by name of correspondent, and thereunder chronologically. The index on 3- by 5-inch cards or slips.

III.15 Program-planning, project, and fiscal records, 1918-52 (accession 55A-454)(332 ft.)(MLR Entry 6B, PI 134), are arranged by broad subject category. These records supplement the general correspondence files, 1912-65, decimals 481-482. The project files document projects of the so-called direct Federal construction type. Included in these files are records relating to railroad abandonments for 1934 to 1936. The Bureau of Public Roads supplied engineers to survey lines to be abandoned and to investigate highways in the project area. The records described below are part of this series:

1. The Final Reports, Railroad Abandonment Applications Investigated by the Bureau of Public Roads, 1934-35 (box 104) are reports prepared by the Division of Highway Transport, concerning the feasibility of proposed railroad abandonment projects, in three volumes. The reports are arranged chronologically and list proposed abandonments, name of railroad, section of track, and relevant ICC finance dockets. The reports describe the history of the development of the trackage, stations abandoned, population, tonnage hauled by rail (rail traffic), and usually a map of the area. The individual railroad applied to the ICC for certification of convenience and necessity permitting it to abandon railroad lines in a specific location. The ICC finance dockets authorized the issuance of certificates permitting the railroad to abandon specific lines.

2. The Railroad Abandonment Papers (boxes 105-106) include ICC finance dockets, maps, and miscellaneous papers, arranged by name of state. The maps are usually Geologic Survey or topographic maps.

3. The Record of Railroad Abandonment Cases, 1933-35, Abstracts from Questionnaires, and ICC finance dockets from C.H. Quimby's Files, Division of Highway Transport, consists of three volumes arranged by ICC finance docket number. This record includes handwritten abstracts of answers to questionnaires sent to the applicant railroad by the ICC. The data is used by the ICC to make decision concerning abandonment. Also included are lists of ICC cases by state giving finance docket number; register of cases by finance docket number giving state, railroad name, date, and status of project; and, in some cases, project field notes.

4. The Miscellaneous Papers and Correspondence relating to Field Investigations, etc. (box 108) include correspondence to and from railroad to the Bureau of Public Roads requesting permission to send engineers or for traffic statistics, instructions for inspecting engineers making field investigations of railroad abandonment cases, copies of reports for proposed abandonments and recommendations. Also included are ICC finance dockets containing information from the railroad returns to the questionnaires. In the files are finance dockets for the Truckerton Railroad (#10999), New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (#11075), Chicago and Northwestern Railroad (#10973, #10978), and the Southern Pacific Company (#10962). The papers of R.F. Severs, Walter A. Ewell, and J.H. Hopkins, include time, travel, and work reports for Division of Highway Transport engineers.

5. Miscellaneous Publications (box 109) include Railway Accounting Officers Association Commodity Classification, 1928 edition, and the August 1933 issue of The Official Guide of the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, published monthly by the National Railway Publication Company. Also included is ICC Finance Docket #10947, Associated Railways Company.

6. There are additional railroad abandonment project reports and correspondence from Bureau engineers and railroad officials to the Division of Highway Transport (Quimby) for the period 1934 to 1945 partially arranged chronologically and partially arranged by state (boxes 110-112). Copies of reports and some maps and timetables are included, as are lists of approved railroad abandonments by state for July 1940 to June 1941. These reports were originally filed in the general correspondence, 1912-50, under the file designation "481-FAS-Abandonment."

7. Records relating to Works Program Highway projects, 1936-40, are also in these files. These projects were authorized for the use of funds allocated to the states for highway work and the elimination of hazards to life at railroad grade crossings under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. The process was initiated by state requests for Federal aid. The records include a list of relief load by state and project reports and related correspondence arranged alphabetically by state, and thereunder chronologically by partial program submission by the states (boxes 113-130). The project reports detail the process of approval or disapproval of Federal Aid System Works Program highway projects.

III.16 Administrative and policy memorandums and related records, 1932-58 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 60, A1), are arranged by subject. Records relate to the administrative and operational procedures of the Bureau of Public Roads. There are records relating to railroad and grade crossing projects.

III.17 Records relating to national highway and defense highway programs, 1940-55 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 63, A1), are arranged by subject. Records relate to the organizing, planning, and construction of national and defense highway/transportation systems. There are records relating to railroad lines in these files.

III.18 Financial reports and studies, 1934-52 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 18B, A1), are arranged by title or subject and consist of a collection of reports and studies concerning the financing of highway construction. One of the reports in the series is "The Extent of Low Wages and Long Hours in the Railroad Industry."

III.19 Nontextual records in RG 30 include lantern slides of railroads, 1900-42, and photographs of the Empire State Express train in a series of photographs on road construction in the United States (30-R).

Record Group 40 General Records of the Department of Commerce

III.20 The Department of Commerce and Labor was established by an act of Congress approved February 14, 1903. According to the provisions of the Department of Commerce Act, March 4, 1913, the Department of Commerce was separated from the Department of Labor. The Department promotes foreign and domestic commerce, the manufacturing and shipping industries, and the transportation facilities of the United States. The vast majority of Department of Commerce records pertaining to railroads are among the records of the ICC. However, the records of the Department of Commerce do include references to railroads in several series, especially for the period 1948-74. These records are described in Preliminary Inventory of the General Records of the Department of Commerce, NC 54, except as noted. Some series have not yet been entered in the Master Location Register.

III.21 In the Office of the Secretary of Commerce is general correspondence, 1903-55 (751 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, NC 54), arranged numerically by assigned document number. These records include correspondence of the Secretary with bureaus of the department, other Government agencies, and private persons regarding the business of the department. Examples of records pertaining to railroads include: a file concerning Bureau of Standards testing of railroad car wheels and steel rails that were questionable due to railroad accidents, 1917 (#68189); a Bureau of Standards report investigating the causes of failures of railroad equipment and development of improved processes, 1916 (#67009); and a file containing correspondence on a variety of subjects concerning railroads including legislation, regulation, labor unions, and property inspections, 1919-23 (#79940). This series is indexed by index to the general correspondence, 1903-50 (84 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, NC 54), which is arranged by date, in 5-year groups, thereunder by subject or name. Index references include documents relating to rail rates, rail prices, railroad employees, railway equipment, railway cars, rail business associations, railroad carriers, and the current railroad situation.

III.22 Subject files of Under Secretary of Commerce, Edward J. Noble, 1939-40 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 11, UD), are arranged alphabetically by subject. These records include a folder entitled "Locomotives" (box 7) which contains correspondence relating to overseas orders for locomotives, from 1939 to 1940; and a folder entitled "Railways" (box 9), which includes correspondence relating to the purchase of air brakes for Argentine railways, 1939.

III.23 In the Executive Secretariat are subject files, 1953-74 (378 ft.)(MLR Entry 78 A1), that are arranged by year and thereunder by type of correspondence ( i.e. departments and agencies, Congress, committees and councils, and subjects) and thereunder alphabetically by subject or name. The records contain the central files of the Office of the Secretary and correspondence files from within the department, private citizens, and Congress. These records also include scattered files concerning railroad mergers, strikes, and the Northeast Corridor study, 1964 (boxes 113-114).

III.24 The Office of Policy Development produced program subject files, 1965-71 (32 ft.)(MLR Entry 16 A1), that are arranged alphabetically by subject. Included is a file on "Railroads-General Information and Legislation" (box 24).

III.25 The subject files of the Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs, 1963-72 (64 ft.)(MLR Entry 148 A1), are arranged by subject and include several folders of documentation on the 1964-65 Northeast Corridor Study, (box 13).

III.26 In the Records of the Under Secretary for Transportation are central files, 1960-65 (44 ft.)(MLR Entry 30 A1), arranged by subject. They include documentation concerning railroad mergers, test tracks, discontinuance of service, high-speed operations research, a study on the Rutland Railroad, and a research report on high- speed operations in the New York Metropolitan Area (box 10); western railroad traffic flow study and science and technology in the railroad industry (box 11); and the New York Central-Pennsylvania Railroad merger and a report on the impact of railroad mergers (box 22). Records of Under Secretary for Transportation, Lowell K. Bridwell, 1962-67 (20 ft.)(MLR Entry 31 A1), are arranged by subject and include a Report of the Railroad Professional Survey Group on various aspects of the New Haven Railroad's problems, 1962 (box 6) and several folders on the "Northeast Corridor Transportation and High Speed Ground Transportation Studies" (box 11).

III.27 Transportation study subject file (air and ocean shipping), 1955-62 (46 ft.)(MLR Entry 26 A1), is arranged by subject. The records of J.F. Perrin, Staff Director, 1955-60, include correspondence pertaining to the Railroad Equipment Association; Railroads-General, 1960; Railroads-British, and Railroads-Strike (box 22). The records also contain a Department of Commerce report on "Federal Interest in Railroad Passenger Service, 1959" (box 26); and Railroads-General, 1961-62 (boxes 40-41). Transportation council files, 1952-61 (13 ft.)(MLR Entry 28 A1), are arranged by subject. The panel reports of the council include "Navigation Clearance Requirements for Highway and Railroad Bridges, February 1955" and "American Short Line Railroad Association, 85th Congress, 1958" (boxes 11-12).

III.28 Research program policy file, 1963-64 (7 ft.)(MLR Entry 32 A1), in the Office of Transportation Research is arranged by subject. It includes the records of Vincent Roggeveen, Director, Office of Transportation Research, and E.G. Plowman, Deputy Under Secretary of Transportation, Policy. Records pertaining to railroads in this series includes voluminous files concerning the Washington-Boston Corridor Study, 1964 (box 1); the "New England Railroad Study," 1964, by A. D. Little, and related records (box 2); several files on railroad mergers, including Boston & Maine, Penn Central, and Eastern and Western railroad mergers (box 5); and additional reports on the Northeast Corridor study (box 7).

III.29 General subject file, 1953-58 (12 ft.)(MLR Entry 108 A1), of the Office of the General Counsel, is arranged by subject. It includes records on transport policy from 1955 to 1957. The transport policy files include folders concerning legislation regarding railroads, such as railroad hearings, statements, letters, conference reports, work papers and drafts, reports on the problems of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and publicity concerning the Transportation Act of 1958 (box 6). Legal program subject correspondence, 1948-58 (54 ft.)(MLR Entry 107 A1), is arranged by subject. Under the general subject category "Miscellaneous," there are several folders of records relating to railroads including documentation such as the ICC Index of Carload Freight Rates, copies of ICC investigation & suspense dockets #5831 (Scrap Rails), and #5973 (Illinois Central RR); and a report entitled "The Railroad's Plight" (box 35).

III.30 In the Office of Technical Services, the subject files of Industrial Research and Development Division, 1944-48 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 74, UD), are arranged alphabetically by subject. They include a file entitled "Alaska Railway Project" (box 39), which contains correspondence relating to a proposed U.S.-Alaska railway project connecting the continental U.S. and Alaska. This project was deemed not feasible for economic reasons.

Record Group 133 Records of the Federal Coordinator of Transportation

III.31 The Federal Coordinator of Transportation was authorized by the Emergency Railroad Transportation Act of June 16, 1933, to relieve the existing national emergency in interstate railroad transportation and to safeguard and maintain an adequate national transportation system. The Coordinator's principal functions were investigating railroad labor conditions and assisting the railroad industry in reducing duplicate services and facilities, eliminating practices impairing net earnings, and accomplishing financial reorganization. Much of the time and effort of the Coordinator's staff was directed toward surveys and inquiries into railroad operations to investigate the possibilities of improvement. These surveys covered the handling of freight and passenger traffic, the means employed in selling and soliciting all forms of railroad business, the opportunities for economy and better operation through joint use of terminal facilities, reduction in empty-car mileage, and economies in the purchase and financing of equipment.

III.32 In accordance with the terms of the Emergency Railroad Transportation Act, regional coordinating committees of railroad executives were set up for each region to make recommendations both to the carriers and to the Coordinator on methods of eliminating waste and preventable expense. These committees were superseded by the Association of American Railroads, which was organized by the carriers in 1934 to accomplish the purpose of the act voluntarily without Federal Government assistance. The office was terminated on June 16, 1936.

III.33 The more significant series relating to railroads in particular are described below. The records are listed and described completely in a draft Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Federal Coordinator of Transportation. However, the records are still officially undescribed.

III.34 The General Records of the Coordinator's Office, 1933-36 , include subject-classified files, 1933-36 (143 ft.)(MLR Entry 1, UD), arranged according to a subject-numeric scheme. They consist of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, and studies prepared by the Coordinator's office; copies of Congressional bills and resolutions; and related records concerning mainly the functions, organization, and activities of the Coordinator's office and its relationship to other Government agencies. Among other activities, the Coordinator's office participated in the framing of and amendments to the Emergency Railroad Transportation Act, recommendations of further transportation legislation to the ICC, proposals for more efficient use of railroad equipment, and information concerning railroad rates. This series is indexed by the index to subject-classified files, 1933-36 (14 ft.)(MLR Entry 2, UD), which is arranged alphabetically by subject or name of person, agency, or company. This card index gives name, correspondent, or subject matter; dates; and file number references.

III.35 Reports, 1933-36 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 3, UD), are printed and processed copies of reports prepared by the Coordinator's Office, mainly for the railroad industry. Subject matter includes passenger traffic; cost finding; hours, wages, and working conditions; freight traffic; freight car supply, repair, and use; merchandise traffic; annual earnings of railroad employees; labor issues; modernization of railroad facilities; and the problems of short-line railroads.

III.36 The Mechanical Advisory Committee was appointed to inquire into the mechanical aspects of railroad equipment and motive power and to make recommendations for future requirements and needs of shippers and travelers. The Committee's records include general records, 1934-36 (10 ft.)(MLR Entry 6, UD), which are arranged by subject and consist of correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, minutes of meetings, and related records pertaining to meetings of the Committee and to its program and assignments. Among the subjects covered are consideration and evaluation of new equipment, particularly modernization of freight and passenger cars and other railway equipment.

III.37 The records of the General Counsel, 1933-36, include subject-classified files, 1933-36 (6 ft.)(MLR Entry 8, UD), arranged according to a subject-numeric filing scheme. They contain mainly correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, and related records relating to the drafting of bills and the analysis of proposed legislation affecting railroads; legal opinions regarding the constitutionality of the Emergency Railroad Transportation Act; proposed railroad financial reorganizations; and the reduction of railroad company indebtedness.

III.38 The Section of Research studied the need for legislation to improve the regulation for motor, water, and air carriers, and the extent of subsidies. Its records include records of Norman B. Haley, 1933-36 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 12, UD). arranged by subject. Haley served as research assistant to the Coordinator. The series includes correspondence, memorandums, notes, and reports of interviews relating to research projects such as the future of railroad credit, settlement of interroad accounts, and establishment of a transportation fiscal corporation and trust company. Records relating to the survey of interroad accounts, April-May 1934 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 15, UD), are arranged by type of material. On April 6, 1934, a questionnaire was sent to railways and switching terminal companies subject to the Interstate Commerce Act, requesting data on their interroad accounts for the purpose of judging the probable cost savings that would flow from the operation of a central transportation clearing house. The series consists of the completed questionnaires with letters of transmittal and reports and memorandums relating to the proposal for a transportation clearing house.

III.39 The Federal Coordinator, aided by advisory committees and railroad representatives, collected data for analyzing plans to consolidate the nation's railroads. Records of the Research Staff on Railroad Consolidation, 1933-34, include the following series:

1. general records, 1933-34 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 20, UD), arranged alphabetically by subject. The records consist of correspondence, telegrams, instructional memorandums, progress reports, lists of committee and staff members, reports of committees, statistics, and maps relating to the various plans for railroad consolidation, particularly the "Prince Plan." The "Prince Plan" called for the unification of the railroads into seven or eight systems throughout the country and became the most carefully studied plan.

2. miscellaneous records of the Research Staff on Railroad Consolidation, n.d. (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 20 a, UD);

3. exhibits and statistics, n.d. (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 22, UD), arranged by type of material. The series contains statistical exhibits giving the following information for each carrier in each proposed system in the "Prince Plan"--total personnel, equipment repair expenses, operating and maintenance expenses, and train and locomotive miles.

4. office files of William B. Poland, September-December 1933 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 22, UD), arranged by subject. The records include the office files of William B. Poland, who was in charge of the study of the "Prince Plan." They consist of correspondence, telegrams, reports, and statistics relating mostly to the activities of the advisory committees studying the plan.

III.40 Records of the Southern Advisory Committee on Railroad Consolidation, August-December 1933 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 23, UD), are unarranged. They consist of correspondence, telegrams, reports, statistics, maps, notes, and reference materials relating to information furnished to the Committee by the railroads, such as operating revenue and expenses, miles of road operated, car ownership, property investment, and analysis of economy claims under the "Prince Plan."

III.41 The Section on Transportation Service investigated transportation service, recommended methods for its improvement, and surveyed types of railroad service. Its records include the following series:

1. subject-classified files, 1933-36 (23 ft.)(MLR Entry 24, UD), arranged according to a numeric filing scheme. They consist of correspondence, memorandums, reports, statistics, copies of speeches, lists, forms, and related records regarding surveys undertaken by the Section; the gathering of information for and the preparation of its reports; and other activities of the Section. Included is documentation concerning surveys of railroad passenger and freight service.

2. records relating to containers, 1933-34 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 27, UD), arranged by correspondent or subject. Included are correspondence with manufacturers and railroads, photographs and blueprints, and clippings from publications relating to new types of container equipment and their use in handling freight traffic.

3. records relating to the Shipper's Advisory Committee, August-October 1933 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 29, UD), arranged alphabetically by state. The Shipper's Advisory Committee, made up of about four hundred industrial traffic managers from around the country, was formed to gain an understanding of the service requirements of the patrons of the railroads. The records include correspondence with the traffic managers and questionnaire sent out concerning the merchandise traffic survey.

4. records relating to the Carload Traffic Survey, 1933-35 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 31, UD), arranged by form number, type of document, or subject. They consist mainly of summary statistics derived from returned questionnaires concerning the carload traffic survey.

5. records relating to the Passenger Traffic Survey, 1933-34 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 34, UD), arranged by type of material. They contain letters received from the public offering suggestions for improvement of rail service, statistics concerning passenger traffic, completed questionnaires sent to railroads concerning ways to improve passenger service, drafts of the passenger service report, and related records.

6. records relating to the Merchandise Traffic Survey, 1933-34 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 36, UD), arranged by type of material. They consist mainly of correspondence with carriers and freight-forwarding companies, statistical information provided by these companies, and parts of the merchandise traffic report.

7. records relating to the rail-carrier inquiry of the Merchandise Traffic Survey, 1933-35 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 37, UD), arranged by question and thereunder by region. The rail-carrier survey, addressed to all Class I carriers, sought information on the volume of rail traffic, movement of merchandise or package cars, the terminal expense of handling freight, and the amount of way freight train service. The records include some questionnaires and correspondence and telegrams relating to the inquiry.

III.42 The Section of Labor Relations, 1933-36, investigated the stability of railroad employment and ways to improve labor conditions and relations with management and assisted the Federal Coordinator to enforce restrictions on management in labor relations. Among the records of the Section are several series concerning questionnaires and surveys about railroad company unions. Its records also include the following series:

1. general records, 1933-36 (8 ft.)(MLR Entry 39, UD), arranged by subject and containing correspondence, memorandums, telegrams, reports, copies of legislation, and reference materials relating to the research and investigative work of the Section. Some of the subjects included are Federal and state laws affecting railroad labor, reactions to the Railroad Retirement Act, labor problems resulting from railroad consolidation, and proposals for a shorter work week.

2. correspondence relating to labor conditions, 1933-34 (13 ft.)(MLR Entry 42, UD), arranged by region, and thereunder alphabetically by correspondent or railroad. It consists of letters received from railroad employees and labor organizations relating to employment conditions and disputes with the carriers.

3. complaints against company unions, 1933-35 (5 ft.)(MLR Entry 43, UD), arranged alphabetically by railroad. They include correspondence, memorandums, minutes of meetings, and reports relating to cases of alleged discrimination against railroad employees because of their affiliation with independent rather than company unions; investigations of the complaints; and the negotiations of the Coordinator with railroad management to reach a settlement.

4. records relating to terminal consolidation, 1934-35 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 50, UD), arranged by subject or type of document. These records relate to the employment aspects of the proposed projects for the coordination of terminal facilities in Kansas City and Indianapolis. They include correspondence, telegrams, reports, and related records pertaining to the question of payment of dismissal compensation to employees displaced as a result of the terminal consolidations and the preparation of reports on the labor costs of the consolidations.

III.43 The Section of Property and Equipment, 1930-36, was concerned with promoting economy in procurement by standardizing equipment and simplifying purchasing methods (especially railway equipment), consolidating shop facilities, simplifying railway equipment and using freight containers. The section's records include the following series:

1. subject file ("O" Group), 1933-36 (12 ft.)(MLR Entry 51, UD), arranged according to a subject-numeric filing scheme. The file includes correspondence, telegrams, memorandums, reports, statistics, and copies of speeches; sketches and blueprints; and publications related to standardizing store stocks, centralizing purchasing, and handling scrap and obsolete material.

2. "Project File," 1933-35 (0.5 ft.)(MLR Entry 52, UD), arranged by project number and thereunder chronologically or by subject. These records are filed in project categories such as Box Car Standards (P-1), Standardization of Rails (P-2), and Rail Joints (P-3).

3. records on consolidation of major shops, 1934-36 (1 ft.)(MLR Entry 54, UD), arranged by region and thereunder by subject, type of document, or railroad. The series consists mainly of correspondence of the Director of the Section with the regional coordinating committees and railroads and other parties relating to the reactions of the railroads to proposed recommendations on consolidation of major shops and estimated costs and economies resulting from the consolidation.

4. records relating to the handling of railway stores material, 1934-36 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 58, UD), arranged numerically according to the American Railway Association classification scheme. The collection includes correspondence, telegrams, drafts of reports, questionnaires, tables and charts, and related records concerning the management of data submitted by railroads on the handling of railway stores material and reactions to the Section's report on railway stores material.

5. container file, 1935-36 (3 ft.)(MLR Entry 60, UD), arranged by subject or name of railway or trucking firm. This file is mainly correspondence, telegrams, magazine clippings, and industry publications concerning the use of freight containers.

6. records relating to the motive power equipment study, March-April 1935 (2 ft.)(MLR Entry 63, UD). These are drafts of the report Freight Coordination-Motive Power Equipment Study, which include blueprints, sketches, and reports of U.S. and foreign equipment.

III.44 The Section of Car Pooling, 1933-36, investigated equipment pooling, use, and maintenance, including development of car pooling plans, movement of freight cars, and disposition of war and obsolete equipment. Record series include general records, office files, and studies of boxcar mileage and Chicago-Twin Cities merchandise traffic.

III.45 The Section of Regional Coordination, 1933-36, investigated operating and management economies on a local level, such as joint use of terminal facilities or elimination of wasteful routing. Its records include the following series:

1. Eastern Region "Case Files," 1934-36 (7 ft.)(MLR Entry 72, UD), arranged alphabetically by city or subject. The series consists of the correspondence of the Section Director with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Committee, studies and reports, and sometimes photographs, maps, and sketches relating to proposed coordination of facilities and services and estimates of savings, and construction or rehabilitation of railway facilities.

2. subject-classified files of V.V. Boatner, 1933-36 (4 ft.)(MLR Entry 73, UD), arranged according to a numeric-subject classification scheme. V.V. Boatner served as director of the Section. Included are records relating mainly to the conduct of the major shop and railroad ticket office studies and to railroad questions such as abandonment of trackage, decrease in passenger service earnings, and developments in railway equipment.

3. consolidation reports, 1935-36 (38 ft.)(MLR Entry 74, UD), arranged by type of shop and thereunder geographically by area. The records relate to proposed consolidation of locomotive, freight car, and passenger car shops with exhibits of blueprints and sketches.

III.46 The records of regional offices of the Federal Coordinator of Transportation, 1933-36, include case files, correspondence, coordination and consolidation reports, office files, and questionnaires relating to the management economies of railroads at the local level. These records are located in the various National Archives regional branches. For example, the records of the Western Regional Office are located at the National Archives-Great Lakes Region.

III.47 The cartographic records in the general records of the Coordinator's Office include the following series and items:

1. maps of the Western states showing freight and passenger service of the Southern Pacific Railway; and diagrams showing present through passenger service between principal points on the Baltimore and Ohio and the Pennsylvania Railroad systems and proposed service on those two systems after consolidation;

2. a map annotated to show the extent of railroad lines in the vicinity of the New River-Pocohantas Coal Field in West Virginia;

3. plans of railroad terminals in Chicago, Illinois, Ogden, Utah, Memphis, Tennessee, Columbus, Ohio, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Pensacola, Florida;

4. annotated and photoprocessed maps, such as a map of the United States showing through routes under the proposed "Prince Plan";

5. maps of the individual railroad systems and lines of jointly owned railroads as advocated under the "Prince Plan;"

6. maps of parts of the United States showing lines of individual railroads as allocated by the ICC in 1929 (22 items);

7. maps of the United States showing federal land-grant, bond-aided, and equalization railroads (4 items in the records of the Research Section); and

8. manuscript and photoprocessed maps of the United States showing, among other items, railroad freight traffic department agencies (in the records of the Transportation Service Section).